Mass mailings to potential customers or the like have become increasingly popular and many systems have evolved to facilitate automation of the mailing process. In some systems, there are provided continuous envelope assemblies which may be addressed in a computer printer and subsequently stuffed with literature or the like. Other systems involve the use of stuffed sealed envelope assemblies wherein variable information is printed on the interior material through a part of the envelope utilizing selected locations of image transfer materials such as carbon.
Still others utilize carrier strips. For example, in one such prior art system, an elongated, continuous strip of paper provided with control punch margins carries, in alternating fashion, envelopes and letterheads which are removably glued to the carrier. The strip, with the envelopes and letterheads attached is fed through a computer printer or the like during which time the envelope is addressed and the letterhead printed with the desired information to be conveyed to the recipient. After printing, the envelope and the adjacent letterhead are removed from the carrier strip and the letterhead stuffed in the envelope and placed in the mail. The carrier strip is ultimately destroyed.
Still another system utilizes envelopes which are removably disposed on a carrier strip which are then addressed while being fed through a continuous printer or the like. The envelopes are then removed and filled with suitable material intended for the recipient. Part of the carrier strip is such that after the envelope is removed, it can be printed upon for whatever purpose desired. Such a construction is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,824,686 issued Feb. 25, 1958 to Hamilton.
Each of the foregoing systems has its advantages and disadvantages. For example, with continuous envelope assemblies, because the same are not necessarily processed side by side with the insert material, it is possible that the wrong message may be put in an envelope.
In the case of stuffed sealed envelope assemblies, this difficulty is avoided but it is quite apparent to the recipient that he is not receiving a personal communication in the sense of a personal letter or the like.
In the case of carrier mounted envelopes and letterheads, the foregoing difficulties are avoided but in view of the disposal of the carrier strip, the system is more expensive than is desired.
In the case of the Hamilton construction, before the carrier strip may be used for printing, it is necessary that the envelope be removed. Thus, it is not practical to print a message on the carrier strip after removal of the envelope with any assurance that such message will be stuffed in the proper envelope. In other words, Hamilton suffers the same deficiencies as continuous envelope structures.
The present invention is directed to overcoming one or more of the above problems.